Surface-cutting machines are used for cutting roadways or for stripping away old road surfaces. Such machines are fitted with cutting drum of small diameter and travel on continuous tracks. The material such machines remove is thrown onto an intermediate conveyor belt fitted with a receiving hopper, which is arranged between the rear continuous track units, seen relative to the direction of travel of the machine. This intermediate conveyor belt then discharges the material onto a discharge belt which is pivotable to permit the loading of trucks. The machine possesses a relatively low cutting height. One disadvantage of this machine is that it can cut in only one direction, i.e. if cutting is to be carried out in the opposite direction, the machine has to be turned around 180.degree..
In addition, there is a known type of open-cast mining machine which operates according to the "Satterwhite" principle. In this machine four overhead-type bucket wheels arranged side by side at the front of the device dump the extracted material onto two transverse belts arranged behind the bucket wheel, and these belts in turn discharge onto an intermediate belt running opposite to the direction of travel of the machine. This belt connects with a pivotable discharge belt used for loading trucks. This machine can achieve a higher digging force only with the aid of a skid on which the machine rests. The tractive effort of the machine is relatively low and the machine can operate only at a relatively small angle of inclination. There is only limited space to install a powerful drive unit in the cutting device. One major disadvantaqe of the machine is that it can travel in one cutting direction only and therefore must be completely turned around in order to cut in the other direction.